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MISSION REPORT 2019-20 2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 1
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OUR MISSION To dedicate ourselves to Christ in the pursuit of academic excellence, artistic expression, and athletic distinction, while growing in knowledge and wisdom through God’s abundant grace.
OUR PURPOSE As an independent school, Oaks Christian School provides an exemplary, college-preparatory day and boarding school education for 5th through 12th grade students in a Christian environment. Oaks Christian seeks a diverse student body consisting of intellectually, artistically, physically and spiritually gifted young men and women who are interested in refining their God-given talents. The educational experience at Oaks Christian seeks to develop each student’s mind, body and spirit to the fullest potential through challenging academic training, artistic exploration, athletic development and spiritual mentoring by the finest Christian teachers and coaches in the nation. Oaks Christian strives to develop in students a lifelong love of learning, an abiding faith in Christ, and personal integrity. We are a community based on trust, mutual respect and compassion and we hold all members of the community accountable for upholding these values.
OUR GOALS For each of our students, we want to: • foster an understanding of the sovereignty of God which provides a framework for the application of knowledge; • provide a comprehensive and college-preparatory education through diverse learning experiences within an engaging community; • provide a challenging learning environment that fosters critical thinking, personal responsibility and persistent effort; • promote physical fitness and refined character through teamwork and God-honoring competition; • develop an understanding and appreciation of the arts and encourage good stewardship of artistic abilities; • encourage a passion to love God and others through lives that reflect virtues taught and modeled by Christ including justice, wisdom, courage, service, reconciliation, grace and humility.
Taylor Moore, freshman
inside
MISSION REPORT 2019-20
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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
Juan Velasquez with engineering students
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
Annija Teteris, senior
6 Two Decades of Inspiration 8 Residential Dorm Opens 12 Pivot to Remote Learning 16 Institutes Launched 18 GenZ Artists React to COVID-19 24 OCServes Day Debuts 28 Senior Year: Gains and Losses 36 What Might Have Been 38 The Dynamic Duo 42 Alumni Drafted to NFL
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ATHLETIC DISTINCTION
Johanna Nio, freshman
44 IDEA Lab Opens Doors 2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 3
editor’s note Anniversaries can be a par-taay!
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ubilant, festive, happy.
And, for the most part, they usually are. But they can also be a demarcation line, a definitive point of loss or a reminder of times past. But, because life is messy and more complex than simple, they can be a little of both. Oaks Christian turned 20 this year, and to say it was one for the history books is an understatement. As we prepared to celebrate two decades of growth and progress, we were hit with a worldwide pandemic that changed how this anniversary year would play out—it was a happy acknowledgement of all the school has accomplished, and a tenuous navigation of the COVID-19 fallout. In these pages of Lions Legacy—the summation of how we live out our mission annually—we see stories of how the pandemic impacted our academic excellence, artistic expression and athletic distinction. We find the heart of the school—our teachers—still beating strong as they successfully guided students through remote learning while maintaining a human connection. We see our student artists, like all true creatives, using the circumstances in which they found themselves as the raw material to make documentaries, videos, dances, and art that now hangs on the walls of the Thousand Oaks Museum of Contemporary Art. Our athletes elevated team unity above the season record. Our seniors completed their secondary educational journey. We rejoice in that but also realize the circumstances that tempered the celebration. We listen to their voices on how the pandemic impacted them: the loss of special events, missing friends, the feeling of an incomplete senior year. Anniversaries also give us pause to take stock before we continue on the path.
Jason Pierre and Bryn Polly
What was good? The opportunity to minister to the community during the pandemic, to launch our new OCS Serves Day, and connecting with students through the Daily Word, and virtual assemblies and chapels.
what matters, an opportunity to lean more fully into God’s care, guidance, and provision.
What was different? Remote learning was new and challenging, and innovative adjustments had to be made to keep students productive and engaged. What remains the same? It was clear the commitment to the OCS mission did not waver despite the platform in which it was lived out. As we commemorated our 20th anniversary in this unforeseen year, we held fast to our foundation. Yes, some things were lost, unique events, the dinner-gala, sports seasons, but some things were gained: a clear focus of
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So, as you read through this publication, let’s party! Celebrate this year, and 20 years of God’s faithfulness to Oaks Christian School through every challenge and blessing. Rejoice in what our students accomplished despite, and maybe even because of, COVID-19. Reflect on how we came together to care for one another and the community beyond our campus. Happy 20th Oaks Christian,
Maria Cowell Director of Marketing and Communications
from the head of school A Year of Celebration…and Change
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he 2019-20 year marked the school’s 20th year, and we are drawn to the memories of this year, and those prior, as clear evidence of God’s blessing and guiding hand as we sought to live out our commitment, standing firm on our foundation of our Christian ethos, our Biblical worldview, and our desire to live out Christ-like attitudes and values. Recently, we lived tragic events that brought us together with compassion for each other and our neighbors. And so, we were excited to celebrate our 20th anniversary and commemorate new milestones: • Welcoming the growth of our student body by more than 100 additional students • The launching of three new individualized learning institutes: engineering, global leadership, and arts and innovation • The opening of the new 10,000 square foot IDEA Lab • The establishment of a new and exciting residential dorm providing on-campus living to 41 students from around the world • Planning an exciting anniversary dinner gala featuring former United States Ambassador Nikki Haley and guest star OC alumni parent and recording artist Lionel Richie However, while 2018-19 was the year of community and compassion, 2019-20 quickly became the year of crisis, change and contingencies. In March, we faced the unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. With our eyes focused internationally, and as we saw the ramifications and impact of the growing health crisis, the school, with a three-week headstart, trained our teachers and students to move from classroom learning to a live, remote learning environment. We pivoted to a remote learning model. We used state-of-the-art technology to engage students with their teachers and peers. This exciting person-to-person remote process ensured continuity of learning and a seamless continuance of their education. The result was that our students remained on-track and the school gained local, statewide, and national recognition for its continued culture of learning, caring and student success. Through this all, our students were able to accomplish some noteworthy achievements, which we celebrate in this publication. We cheer and applaud their hard work and dedication. As you read the stories in Lions Legacy, we hope you will celebrate with us these amazing young men and women. We are, once again, humbled and reminded of God’s guiding hand on this school and His continued care for our families. We realize anew that an OCS education is a blessing. This past year was a tremendous example of preparing students, not just for where they will go, but rather for who they are and who they will become. Blessings,
Rob Black President/Head of School
2019-20 Administration Rob Black Head of School Mike Parkinson Chief Operating Officer Dr. Matt Northrop Associate Head of School for Academics Dee Dee Mayer Associate Head of School for Spiritual Life John Huffman Vice President of Admissions Cozette Darby Senior Director of Administration Eddie Moore Chief Development Officer Karen Coyle High School Principal Garett Freeman Middle School Principal
Lions Legacy Editor Maria Cowell Director of Marketing and Communications Graphic Designer Blanca Schnobrich Photography Reid Chobanian, Marcus Choi, Cornerstone Photography, Maria Cowell, David Dewing, Greg Gillis-Smith, Marvin Jimenez, Brandy Lazar, Kevin Lindsey, Blanca Schnobrich, Amber Seat, Bob Sterenberg, Gabrielle Tricoli, Advancement Department, High School Yearbook Staff, Middle School Yearbook Staff Printing Jeff Benes The Smart Group
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 5
Two Decades of Inspiration and Innovation
Middle school ground breaking.
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lot can happen in 20 years. A thought can become an idea. An idea can become a vision. A vision can become a reality.
From the moment OCS founders David Price and Dallas Price-Van Breda thought of starting a high-caliber, Christian school their grandchildren could attend to the ribbon-cutting of a modern residential dorm, Oaks Christian School has been on a trajectory of inspiration and innovation. The search for the property began in 1994 and eventually led to Westlake Village three years later. The doors opened in 2000 with 198 students under the leadership of the first OCS head of school Jeff Woodcock. As word spread about the high academics at a Christian school, enrollment skyrocketed. Buildings went up quickly and new programs were added every year. The inaugural class came in as sophomores in 2000 and graduated 73 strong. They established several traditions including student government, homecoming, spirit week, and school dances. 6 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
Oaks Christian completed its first full accreditation with the highest marks from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, resulting in a six-year term right out of the gate. Students started winning speech and debate meets, spelling bees, and local and state science fairs, including rocketry challenges. 2002-03 was a banner year for athletics when the Lions won four CIF championships: boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball, girls’ soccer and softball. In December 2003, a fifth title was added as football won its first CIF championship. That began a winning streak which included six consecutive CIF championships establishing a CIF-SS football record. The opening of the state-of-the-art Bedrosian Pavilion in 2007 established an unparalleled performing arts program. The technology then rivaled that of college campuses. “The Diary of Anne Frank” was the first production in the new facility and drew crowds from the community. The first Spring Spectacular debuted in 2007 as a benefit concert to raise funds for Lifewater International. Visual arts was also exploding and winning juried competitions, showcasing student art in local and national venues.
By 2009, it was apparent the middle school needed its own campus. Ground breaking commenced on a new facility which featured unique pod classrooms, sports fields, offices and its own, separate cafeteria. In the same year, the newly renovated baseball stadium complex was dedicated and brought together city officials, and OCS parents and project donors Wayne and Janet Gretzky. Five years later, Academy V, for fifth grade students, was added to the middle school campus. Within the last five years, the Bill Redell Field at Thorson Stadium was dedicated, makerspace labs in middle school and high school have been added, the IDEA Lab has become a reality, and the dorm has welcomed its first residents. The physical growth of the campus and the addition of new programs has been phenomenal and a blessing to the many students who have walked the hallways, played on the fields and in the gyms and performed on the OCS stage. But what this year’s 20th anniversary honors is the vision, work and dedication of our founders, volunteers, staff, families, alumni, and donors who have made Oaks Christian what it is today—a God-honoring school that prepares young men and women for a life of purpose and service.
The Originals
We honor 12 faculty and staff who were original employees when the school began (photos below are from the early years). Sherrie Mitchell was hired a year before the school opened making her a 21-year employee. Thank you for two decades of dedication and service.
Peter Ackermann
Director Theatre Arts
Sebastian Alvardo
Dr. Jim Altizer
Spanish Teacher/Soccer
Reid Chobanian
Dir. Media Production
Main building and Calvary Community Church.
Daniel Forde
Lead Campus Supervisor
Thorson Stadium construction.
Sotelo Aquatic Center construction.
Tricia Hacker
Art History Teacher
Amy Krueger
Quad, and Price Academic building construction.
Softball field construction.
Ros Allen-Enciso
Dir. Athletic Operations
Assoc. Director of College Counseling
Bible Teacher
Kristi Fitzgerald
Dir. Human Resources
Sherrie Mitchell
Exec. Asst. Spiritual Life
Jan Hethcock
Head of Athletics
Wes Smith
Dir. Athletic Training
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 7
Dorm Opening
A Vanguard Moment in OCS History
O
aks Christian School marked the opening of its 20th anniversary year with another vanguard moment in the school’s illustrious history. On Aug. 10, 40 students made history as the very first residents of the new OCS residential boarding facility, a state-of-the-art dorm that will eventually house 68 international and domestic students. In this inaugural year, the program welcomed students from Indonesia, China, Ghana, Vietnam and locally from Orange County. The new residential life building was officially dedicated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony early spring that hosted local dignitaries from the Westlake Village mayor’s office, Congresswoman Julia Brownley’s office, media and the community members.
A Warm Welcome
“I was nervous about coming here (from Brazil), but I am very happy here now. The school is really, really welcoming, and the dorm parents are amazing. The faculty and staff welcomed me so much and made me feel like they wanted to get to know me, not just as a student, but as a person. Being in the dorm has already taught me a lot about being independent and engaging with people,” said Anna Fonseca, junior. As they unloaded hampers, pictures, bedding and other personal items, the students and their parents were welcomed to The Den on move in day with music, food, and balloons. OCS residential ambassadors (fellow students) directed them to their rooms, answered questions, and helped move furniture and belongings. Dorm parents—a total of four husband-wife teams—greeted the students on their individual floors and helped them get oriented.
Photos (left to right): Kitchen, lounge area, movie theater. 8 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
Move in Day
Move in day was the culmination of a vision three years in the planning and spearheaded by OCS Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Kris Thabit. Thabit, an original OCS board member, was also instrumental 20 years ago in finding the present location for the main OCS campus. OCS College Counselor Valerie Johnson and her husband, Rodney, are dorm parents. They have welcomed two international male students into their home for the past three years and have now taken their commitment to a new level. “I am really excited to be able to speak into the lives of high school students. It has been wonderful to have two international students living with us. And now, to be able to do that with 22 boys is an amazing opportunity we are excited about,” she shared.
A New Opportunity
Sophomore Rui Chen, from China, took a moment from unpacking his suitcases to share his thoughts on move in day. “I think it’s a new opportunity for me educationally and socially. We all get to be with other new people, get to know each other and make new friends, like with your roommate,” he said. His mother, Dai, was staying a few days to help her son settle in. She felt confident the residential dorm would provide a warm, family environment. “He will get to learn in a new school with a new family,” she said.
Domestic Student Opportunity
Student ambassadors help residents move in.
Domestic student William Pezold, freshman, hails from Laguna Hills, Ca., and his family decided boarding was a great option for him to attend Oaks Christian, but still be able to come home on weekends depending on his water polo schedule with tournaments and games. “I see a lot of opportunity for my son here and I think it was the right decision. There could not have been a better situation and we feel fortunate about the location of Oaks Christian School,” his mother shared. The OCS residential program makes Oaks Christian one of the few national Christian secondary schools to offer both a day and boarding option. Indeed, the building with three modern kitchens, fitness room, lounge areas, computer study areas, and dorm rooms that rival and even surpass that of universities, does impress. Included are gender-specific dormitory floors, high-tech security system, movie and game rooms, and a chapel. But beyond the bells and whistles, the residential boarding program provides a unique opportunity for Oaks Christian to live out its mission.
Facility Supports Mission
“No doubt, this is a milestone for the school; a brand-new building and a new place for student life to happen. As I walk in here and see the smiles of the students I know this will have a tremendous impact on their lives,” said Head of School Rob Black. “But this is also an opportunity for us to do life on a much deeper level than we can on the main campus.”
For International Student Program Director Nicole Oakes, her heart was full on the special day as she welcomed the 25 boys and 14 girls who moved in. “It’s been so much fun to see this day come together with our 30 ambassador student teams, our admissions department and all those who came out today to welcome the students. I am looking forward to building the community here for students to feel at home and have the extra time to get involved and connect with staff and each other,” she shared. Main photo: OCS board of trustee members and city officials preside over the ribbon-cutting. 2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 9
T
r i a F y l i m Fa
Kicks-off Anniversary Year!
he annual OCS family fair took on a special meaning this fall as it was the first official event to kick off the 20th anniversary celebration year!
Hosted by the OCS advancement department, the beloved tradition saw many new and returning families gather on the Bill Redell Field in Thorson Stadium on a warm August afternoon for food, fun and fellowship. Younger siblings and children enjoyed bouncy houses and games, while older students and adults connected over delicious food and caught up on each others’ summer activities. Back by popular demand was the delicious cake walk competition, (with over 20 entries) as well as the competitive chili cook-off
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contest, where school departments and student groups— college counseling, admissions, spiritual life, international program, principals and deans, cheer, dance, athletics and more—went toe-to-toe for culinary bragging rights! Winners included Best Booth Décor award to Mama Dee’s Football Chili, Best Overall Chili award to the Roberg Family for their delicious Tight Rope Chili, and the People’s Choice award went to Sci-Fi Chili! The day ended with the sunset prayer circle for God’s blessing on students, staff and families for the new school year led by Head of School Rob Black and Associate Head School for Spiritual Life Dee Dee Mayer.
Homecoming Remember
O
ver 1,000 members of the Oaks Christian School community came out on a crisp, October day to celebrate the OCS 20th anniversary homecoming, including 100 alumni from nearly every graduating class since 2003. The multigenerational event was packed and set attendance records for the annual fall tradition. The family-friendly day started a few hours before the kick-off and featured live OCS student performances, a DJ, inflatables for the young ones, and food trucks! Guests also enjoyed tours of the Price Academic Building, the new IDEA Lab, and the residential life building. A special Community and Alumni Visual Art Show exhibiting the artistry of OCS community members—students, staff, and OCS relatives—was created just for homecoming this year. The homecoming court royalty was announced on the Bill Redell Field at Thorson Stadium before the game at 3:30pm and included the exciting crowning of this year’s queen and king, Sofia Vlahos and Joshua Harrison. The OCS Lions defeated the St. Bonaventure Seraphs, and the half-time show featured the traditional class floats and student performances. Homecoming king Joshua Harrison and queen Sofia Vlahos, seniors. Below (left to right): Isabella Sokolosky, junior, alumni parade, football team takes the field.
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 11
academic
tPivot oviP EXCELLENCE
to Remote Learning Life can change on a dime
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ne day you are sitting in class, eating lunch in the café with your buddies and thinking about the weekend pool party at your bestie’s house.
The next, you are eating a sandwich alone in front of Zoom, wondering how to fill the long hours on Saturday and Sunday. When the global, novel coronavirus broke out, or COVID-19, life as we knew it was upended. The first case was reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and came to the United States a month later. It quickly spread worldwide. By March 2020, the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic and countries quickly shut down: entire sports seasons were cancelled, entertainment venues were shuttered, large public gatherings were prohibited, and travel restrictions were put into place.
“It was clear where this was headed and the time to act was now so the pivot to remote learning could happen seamlessly. Through a variety of digital platforms, we provided learning without interruption and created special and innovative opportunities for social engagement and enrichment for our students. We also supported faith formation through devotions, chapels, storytelling, music and worship,” he said. With the help of the information technology team, teachers were given two days to quickly move their lessons online: videos, uploads, screencasts, and Zoom lectures.
Administrative Support
“Administration provided immediate support with expert help from Don Robinson, the most patient tech guy in the world. The collaboration of my colleagues was invaluable. Everyone jumped in and shared ideas, resources, and strategies. When I started my first Zoom class, I felt like I had a solid plan in place and the tools I needed to execute them,” shared English teacher Christi Goeser. Students, already using technology in the classroom due to the school’s Bring Your Own Device policy, quickly transitioned. “Remote learning went a lot better than I expected. Oaks Christian did such a fantastic job organizing and planning to make the transition as smooth as possible,” said Eden Tan, sophomore. “It was an abrupt shift, but I got used to the rhythm of it pretty quickly and all the teachers were very kind. As it went along, we came up with more creative solutions to assignments,” said Sofia Mena, sophomore.
Teacher Creativity
And teachers did get creative! History students created a WWII radio broadcast for their global west class. Sophomore Kyle Gunderson cooked up a Mexican black bean skillet meal for health class, tracking the health benefits of the ingredients he used. Middle school teacher Dale Spady challenged his engineering class to create indoor games based on scientific principles. Other teachers asked students to use common household objects.
Education Impacted
Education was hit hard. While we could live without sports or movies, students still needed to learn, to fulfill graduation requirements, to be ready to go to the next grade level once schools reopened. Like many other campuses nationwide, Oaks Christian School closed its campus in mid-March and moved to remote learning, delivering instruction via Zoom and other platforms. Foreseeing the coming shift, Head of School Rob Black and the senior leadership team began preparing the community for the change well in advance of the lock down order. Black drew on his previous international experience as the assistant head of school and chief financial officer at Seoul Foreign School in South Korea. 12 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
“The students created atoms from the Periodic Table of Elements using items from around their home. We had everything from vegetable atoms, to cereal protons, to seed pod nuclei,” said Academy V teacher Laurie Nave. Lilah O’Quinn, sixth grade
Academy V teachers also mixed classes to form literature circles from seven different classics. “Facilitators” spanned coast to coast, from grandparents to parents. As the facilitators followed the literary prompts and led discussions, students were able to jump from breakout group to breakout group and listen in on both reading and discussions.
academic EXCELLENCE However, student and faculty alike also pointed out the silver linings during the lock down.
“Although we normally hold these in the classroom with parent volunteers, our online sessions gave us the unique opportunity to use family members,” Nave added.
“Something that I have learned from this experience is the importance of self-motivation and accountability. It is very easy to begin to lose motivation over an online platform, but it also highlighted the significance of motivating myself to persevere and the basis of school, which is the love and pursuit of knowledge,” Tan said.
Creativity and preparedness went a long way to keeping students engaged but staying on a screen all day was a challenge. To mitigate that, teachers used different ways to keep students focused.
Innovation
Resilience and Affirmation
Kathryn Nungester, eighth grade
Math teacher Dave Barra kept students engaged by using a shared Zoom whiteboard that allowed students to work through problems during live sessions. This practice helped students feel involved and collaborative.
Goeser felt that students did an admirable job despite the challenge, and the lack of distractions actually helped some of them progress faster than on campus. Parent support, including encouraging notes, was also huge, she felt. “I have been reminded of just how resilient we are. When it comes down to it, we grow most in times of struggle and find out just how much strength of character we have. Seeing students rise to the occasion without excuse, without complaint has been reaffirming. The future looks good!” she said.
“We also built in a review day every third class meeting via Zoom to not only check for understanding, but to just be in community with each other. And again, the shared whiteboard made the class more interactive and engaging,” Barra said. For Goeser, something as simple as a personal greeting kept her classes connected. She started Zoom by greeting students one by one as they “came to class.” “We also spend a few minutes at the start asking how they are doing and hearing about their days. This makes it feel less like a sterile screenshot and more like being on-campus,” she said. She also let the students drive the conversation as much as possible, talking to each other to help them own their own learning and feel known and valued.
Lines Blurred
Without the engaging environment on campus, schoolwork, homework, sleep, and free time blurred together. “Some challenges included distinguishing the line between school life and home life since they were taking place in the same area,” said Tan. Junior Fiona Wagner shared that, as a people person, her struggle was the isolation from her peers. “Virtual learning for me personally was a great challenge. I am the kind of student that loves human contact: interaction, shared smiles with my classmates, waving to friends and faculty in the halls. I loved coming in and speaking to my teachers during their office hours and I truly missed that.”
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 13
academic EXCELLENCE
Keeping Students Engaged Making Room for Social-emotional Needs
W
hen the shelter in place order was official and schools transitioned to remote learning the hope was the new learning module would be short-lived, a couple of weeks at the most. But as schools remained closed it soon became clear that students needed more than just academic Zoom classes to thrive. The OCS academic team recognized this and quickly made adjustments and began a new schedule for when middle school and high school students returned after Easter break. This new schedule reflected feedback from student surveys and parent input that requested decreased screen time, longer lunch breaks and opportunities for community engagement and social interaction. Some of the changes included later start of school day, shorter class periods, longer lunch breaks, more teacher virtual hours to connect, and special student engagement days. “We created new opportunities to virtually meet the socialemotional and spiritual needs of our students as well as offering times to gather as a community. We heard you and we took action!” said High School Principal Karen Coyle. The special Wednesday engagement days included breakout sessions such as worship and prayer, physical fitness workouts, dance sessions, community assemblies, special Bible studies, the Oaks News broadcast, coffee hang outs, art reflection, gardening, social hangout hours, FemStem meetings, fun cooking classes like “How to Make Cake Pops,” lunch hour gatherings, healthy coping skills sessions, philosophical and literary discussions, and “walk-n-talks.” “I greatly enjoyed the community engage days as they provided a productive break in the weekly cycle and allowed me to participate in new activities and learn new skills,” said sophomore Eden Tan. “Engage days helped restore a sense of the Oaks community by meeting with other students outside of the classroom and seeing familiar faces through in community assemblies and breakout sessions. It also gave me the opportunity to meet with my teachers during office hours if I had any questions about what we were learning or needed any help with understanding.” Above photo: Jaelyn Bradley, seventh grade 14 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
Connecting with Our Teaching younger students online can be both a delight and a challenge. As our youngest students in fifth grade made the switch to learning at home, Academy V teacher Laurie Nave shares the experiences and what was learned along the way, even driving three hours to make sure all students had materials.
Did you feel prepared? The teachers said good-bye to our students on a Friday and on Monday we were in online training classes that taught us everything from using Zoom and doing screencasts, to innovative interactive student programs that enhance student learning. After two days of intensive training classes, we welcomed our students online. It was seamless. Oaks brilliantly saw the possibility of going online early on and prepared us well for three possible phases, depending on the length of time we’d be online. Little did we know that we would jump to phase three quickly, but we were prepared!
What were some of the challenges of teaching younger students this way? The third day of school I posted a screencast with instructions— oy vey! The students were lost and confused. I quickly discovered they needed a little more hand-holding. The younger students thrived on Zoom. They eagerly greeted me each day and were excited to be together as a class. Although they eventually became quite savvy navigating through various programs, even teaching me technological tricks, asynchronous learning was a slow process.
What types of materials did you use? Another challenge came in the form of materials. Oaks provides all textbooks for Academy V students. After completing our first science unit online, I entered into another unit without realizing that several students did not have the materials at their home. I swung by Oaks to pick up materials before completing a threehour loop from Somis to Los Angeles to Malibu dropping off books. It was a beautiful drive and a delight to peek into my students’ worlds.
How did you make sure all students felt included in an online classroom? Every morning I took attendance by calling each student by name and had them share with the class an answer to the “question of the day.” The questions ranged from What new food did you try this weekend? to What are you most nervous about during this quarantine? Those questions led to tender moments and much laughter, which bound our hearts together. It’s much easier to engage students in learning when their voice is heard
Youngest Learners
academic EXCELLENCE
Laurie Nave with her Academy V students at the Ojai retreat.
on personal topics. Class discussions were had in small breakout groups, giving each student time to share. I could pop in and out of groups listening to many discussions at once.
What kind of feedback did you get from students and/or parents? Our Academy V families were nothing but supportive and encouraging. We were aware of the “silent observers” off screen who received a unique glimpse of their child’s learning experience at Oaks that they never would have gotten without the quarantine. They learned grammar jingles, saw me wearing a 3D board of the phases of the moon around my neck, and listened to the invitation of the Cross at Easter. They sent emails of thanks, let laughter slip out at times, and even chimed in with questions.
How easy or hard was it for students to be prepared each day? Academy V students are easygoing and quite adaptable. They enjoyed rolling out of bed minutes before school started, without worrying about the commute or dress code. They studied hard and enthusiastically participated in class. The one difficulty they shared was not seeing all their friends.
What were some creative things you did during remote learning? Students created Planet Travel Brochures using information from NASA about the possibility of life on their planet with a slew of scientific data. They displayed their information in a trifold brochure from a fun template website. They then printed and presented their brochures as travel agents, enticing us to come to their planet.
What did you miss most about being with the students in class? I missed giving and receiving hugs. I missed spontaneous student lunch dates. I missed hearing before and after school chatter. I even missed the laughter and dancing of kids creating TikToks in the hallway.
What is something new you learned from this teaching experience? Resilience. I learned that kids are incredibly resilient. They will adapt to anything if the environment around them retains stability, support, and love. They taught me how to be resilient with grace and joy. 2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 15
academic EXCELLENCE
Institutes Launched T
he 2019-20 school year saw the first full year of operation of Oaks Christian School’s unique institutes: The Institute of Arts and Innovation (IAI), the Institute of Global Leadership and the Institute of Engineering.
Institute of Engineering “I took this class because I was interested in math and science and I wanted to take advantage of everything Oaks had to offer including the IDEA Lab,” said Ethan Bergman, freshman, about his introduction to the engineering class.
With the launch of these three initiatives Oaks Christian has established itself as an academic leader, delivering an unparalleled opportunity for students to step into 21st Century learning while finding their individual spark. “Our hope was to create these individualized pathways where we were seeing students not as products but as people that are all unique. Students all have different ideas, different personalities, different things that engage them, so we wanted to create three different institutes that would allow the majority of our students to find one that interested them,” said Associate Head of School for Academics Dr. Matt Northrop. The Institute of Arts and Innovation was the first one to be established. It aims to develop ethical artists who are also savvy professionals who can market and promote their talents. It resulted from an initial collaboration with Oaks Christian and The Swedish Academy of Music and Business. Performing Arts Chair Mary Kay Altizer took the lead and brought back the ideas to Westlake Village to form the basis of the institute. The need for more STEM offerings was the impetus for the Institute of Engineering. The challenge was to find a space for a well-developed program. At the same time the idea was formulating the 10,000 square foot warehouse adjacent the OCS campus became available. Finally, the spirit of entrepreneurism took hold and the Institute of Global Leadership was imagined as a place to mentor future leaders. “We wanted to be able to provide students with the knowledge, the heart and the preparation and training to be able to step into leadership roles immediately,” said Northrop.
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Physics teacher Tyler Hernandez, engineering class build a bridge.
A sentiment like Bergman’s is exactly why the institute of engineering was established: to provide a space for students whose interest in STEM could be nurtured in a world class facility like the IDEA Lab. Students participating in the Oaks Christian School Institute of Engineering learned how to analyze, model, and design engineering systems, developed the skills to solve complex problems, and mastered the use of software and prototyping tools used in the industry. Like Global Leadership and IAI, engineering students also benefited from guest speakers as well as off-campus excursions to industry locations and extra-curricular activities in robotics, cyberpatriots and the annual solar cup team competition. Pathways in the institute include mechanical, software, aerospace and electrical engineering. Sophomore Trevor Bennet enjoyed his mechanical engineering class and enrolled to “gain real life experience and gain an advantage for going into college.”
academic EXCELLENCE Institute of Global Leadership Students in this program learn about a wide variety of fields of study, culture, and international challenges while becoming active as entrepreneurial problem-solvers, public speakers and able negotiators and collaborators. Students developed business plans for start-ups, learned about market analysis and brand development and marketing. Students could select from a business or a law pathway both of which embodied ethical servant-leadership and an understanding of world systems, economic, political, and social in both local and global contexts. They also studied books by renown leaders such as John Maxwell and others about personality traits and habits. “We took lots of personality tests to help us understand what kind of leaders we are and hope to become,” said freshman Abby Ternan. In fall, the entrepreneurship class visited Homeboy Industries in downtown Los Angeles to learn how the company was founded by Catholic priest Gregory Boyle. It is now the world’s largest gang-intervention and rehabilitation program, providing jobs and programs for
Institute of Arts and Innovation The IAI year kicked off with a Summer Songwriting Camp Collaboration with California Lutheran University that featured master teachers including Michelle Tumes, James Burnett, Shelly Peiken, and Travis Heidelman. Students who attended worked with songwriting specialists on co-writing team exercises and creating and producing songs. Students performed work and received feedback from a panel of prominent music industry experts. The four pathways launched this year included music production, vocal performance, film and television and songwriting. Photography and dance pathways are scheduled to be added in fall 2020. “I wanted to learn all the little tricks and tips to make any music that I made better,” said sophomore Hayden Duswalt about the Logic Pro X tool in the digital recording class. Actor Sean Astin also spoke to Digital piano lab. the Acting for the Camera class, sharing his experiences on the Lord of the Rings set. Q and As were held with Clive Davis, head of global music partnerships at Roon Labs and former NYU faculty member, as well as film and television actress Katie Stevens (via Zoom during the lockdown). Special events in the year included master class with Alyssa Lein Smith, Chief of Staff and Media Manager at Quincy Jones Productions, who shared with students about her work in the industry.
at-risk youth. Students toured their bakery, Homegirl Cafe, apparel store, and a tattoo removal shop on site. This past year, students were privileged to hear from Santa Monica Chief of Police Cynthia Renaud, Jossy Chacko, founder of non-profit humanitarian company Empart, and businesswoman Pam Weingarten about stock market news and her first-hand experience working on Wall Street! In deciding to take global leadership classes, freshman Tyler Kacherian said, “I hope to gain skills that would allow me to communicate with others better, lead others in what I do, and gain skills that would guide me in life.”
Students were privileged to hear from YouTube sensation Jeremy Passion Manongdo, a singer/songwriter/producer known for his soulful, melodic voice, and music with messages on love, life and faith. Coming back to campus was OCS alumna Rachele Schank, Class of 2006, an actress and model who inspired students to embrace their creative intuition and follow through despite the presence of fear. Outside of the classroom, students toured the studio of hit-making producer, DJ and artist Fernando Garibay while learning about his experience as a multi-instrumentalist.
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artistic EXPRESSION
Gen Z
Reacts to Pandemic Through
Life Interrupted
S
ixteen OCS visual arts students were featured in a special online exhibit titled Life Interrupted: A Digital Art Capsule of Our Time Through the Lens of Generation Z at the California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks (CMATO). It featured artwork that the students produced while they were working from home during the COVID-19 quarantine. Life Interrupted shares their stories through diverse works in painting, illustration, digital art, documentaries, short films, and mixed media, revealing the context and reality of life during a time of social distancing and uncertainty. “While the national response to COVID-19 had schools switching all courses to online, many art students were displaced from their usual classroom studios, routine and materials. It’s truly inspiring to see the way in which our students faced these extraordinary circumstances with resolve, enthusiasm and creativity,” said OCS Visual Arts Chair Anna Wadman. Students were invited to create original works that reflected their thoughts about the global health crisis and its impact on their generation, education, and artistic practice. Students responded to a variety of COVID-19 questions, including how they felt about distance learning, the positive things they experienced while learning from home and how they believed the pandemic affected society. Life Interrupted presents students’ positive and negative feelings during a period when the comfort and security of regular routines were disrupted: schools transitioned to digital learning, families sheltered in place together and traditional rites of passage, such as prom and graduation, were postponed or cancelled. In addition, the exhibit was featured in California Lutheran University’s National Public Radio (NPR) segment with Wadman and student Elijah Green, freshman, being interviewed. Student artists featured: Mika Josue, Hana Ryan, Sam Mindel, Madison Mok, Caitlyn McMahan, Samuel Gao, Grace Kim, Elijah Green, Dexter Guillemot, Gabe Burgos, Kai Tanger, Hannah Nio, Kacey Lu, Morgan Gillio, Isabella Marasco and Micaela Kastor.
Visit the online exhibition
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! s e ss e r Imp
VIRTUAL ARTS SHOWCASE
A
s 2020 took an unexpected turn and classes moved online, students continued to create. In fact, pieces took on a new meaning and urgency as student artists recorded their experience of the pandemic through their art. Making art also served as an escape from the daily routine and a chance to play and relax. In a world out of control, creating art is an act of autonomy and a way to communicate thoughts that are hard to express or articulate.
artistic EXPRESSION The annual spring high school visual arts showcase graces the halls and lobby of the Price Academic Building as student-artists display the work they created throughout the year. But with the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the OCS campus, and most schools nationwide, the showcase looked like it would be canceled this year. However, OCS student artists persevered under trial and exhibited flexibility and creativity as they worked from home without many of the tools and supplies they enjoyed in the classroom. The result was a virtual visual arts show that was shared digitally with the community that included photography, graphic design, drawing and painting, film and AP art history pieces.
Visit the online exhibition
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artistic EXPRESSION
C
reativity wasn’t confined under shelter-at-home orders as evidenced by the OCS performing arts students who used their time in quarantine to continue to exemplify “Artistic Expression” at the highest levels. The a cappella group OC Voices, which debuted last year, created an amazing rendition of “I Miss Myself” by HRVY and NOTD. They were directed by Choral Director Edward Rouse, and the video had over 100K hits on social media. In addition, the Middle School Advanced Band also created a virtual piece, “Feel It Still,” by Portugal. The Man, orchestrated by Director of Bands Ryan Kelly. And the talented OCS thespians, led by Theatre Arts Director Ros Allen-Enciso, also shared their skills through a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious experience, wherein each Mary
Not Quarantined Poppins cast member self-recorded their portion of the song to make an amazing compilation of the number. The middle school advanced band and visual arts collaborated on a fabulous project titled “Sunchasers,” under the direction of Director of Strings Naomi Mandojana and Visual Arts Teacher Nissa Hatfield. They took visual art pieces and coordinated them to the music for a moving montage. For the senior student-artists, the end of their high school journey may not have turned out as they planned. However, they showed resilience and determination as they pursued their passions in quarantine! To honor our seniors and provide a platform for them to share their artistry, a special virtual showcase of the senior artists called HOPE was created. Seniors Amazing Oakes, Noah Sletten, Julia Fase, Caitlyn McMahan, Madison Mok, Gabe Burgos, Maddy Meade, Ryan Duswalt and Annija Dziesma had featured videos.
OCS Teacher and Alum Wins Multiple Feature Film Awards Congratulations were in order this fall for OCS high school theatre and acting teacher Bradley Gosnell for his feature film, “Gun and a Hotel Bible,” which won multiple awards and received numerous national and international nominations from different film festivals, including Best Actor honors for Gosnell. Gosnell is part of the stellar faculty of the OCS Institute of Arts and Innovation (IAI). Gosnell, who is also an OCS alumnus Class of 2010, wrote and acted in the provocative play which centers on a man on the verge of a violent act and his encounter with a personified hotel Bible. The film poses the question “When all hope is lost, can the lost find hope?” In one hour, a desperate man—Pete—comes “face-to-face” with everything he once believed in. Gideon (being a Bible) doesn’t get out much. Still, he has plenty to say, but Pete’s heard it all before, and he’s more than ready to spar with the “Word of God.” As ideas about morality, the Bible, and God fly, the clock ticks while Gideon and Pete battle and bond as they are forced to deal with their inadequacies. Unfortunately, time is short. From producers Gosnell and Daniel Floren: “This story continues to be a wildly fun and profoundly personal journey for each of us. If you have questioned the stories you were told, if you have been judged by the stories you have, if
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you believe disagreement isn’t the end of civility – this movie is for you. Come in with questions, doubts, hopes, and fears. We certainly did.” In the LA Live Film Festival, the awards include: Best Feature, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director. Best Screenplay, Best Score and Best Editor. New York City International Reel Film gave it a Best Feature Nominee. US Hollywood International Golden Film also awarded him Best Actor Nominee.
artistic EXPRESSION
Unity Dance Show
High school Christmas concert
Middle school Christmas concert
Middle school: World War II Radio Christmas
High school musical: Mary Poppins
High school musical: Mary Poppins
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community OUTREACH AND CARE Freshman, Family Make Shields by Hand
1,000
D
uring COVID-19 many organizations with 3D printers, including Oaks Christian, used their equipment to create face masks for medical professionals. But one intrepid OCS freshman, Jason Feng, 15, and his family, created over 1,000 plastic face shields by hand, a laborintensive endeavor! Feng and his mother, Lusi, and her fiancé Bob Sterenberg had a goal to make 1,000 shields while they sheltered in place for St. Johns in Oxnard, Los Robles Medical Center, and Simi Valley Medical. Sterenberg said they were motivated to help as they have family members who are medical professionals, and he himself is a program manager for a company that makes power supplies for ventilators. “As a family, we wanted to give back since facilities were challenged with having enough personal protective equipment (PPE),” he shared. Feng was instrumental in figuring out an assembly line so the family could quickly put the shield parts together. They did a couple of test runs to determine the best method. Feng would take one side of the plastic, cut the tape and get it ready for his mom, who then put tape and foam on, followed by Sterenberg who would staple on the strap.
Jason Feng, freshman
“I definitely felt very happy to contribute to the cause of saving people from the virus. Many people donate money, but I really like helping directly by making these face shields. It felt pretty good to do something. This is a fulfilling way to help,” Feng said. He shared that while they made the shields, it was a celebratory family event, with music in the background, further uplifting the family as they thought of the benefit their labors would bring to the recipients.
International Families Respond Quickly to Community Needs The OCS Chinese international students’ parents were so impressed and grateful for the school’s quick response, love, care, and arrangements for the students during this COVID-19 pandemic that they mobilized to donate over 28,000 masks as a way to show their gratitude and support to the school and the community. The face masks were distributed to first responders and medical professionals in the Conejo Valley. The families also distributed hundreds of masks at Calvary Community Church in a drive-through event at the church parking lot.
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The masks were delivered to the following: • Conejo Valley Family Medical and Ventura Medical Center • Thousand Oaks Police Department • Los Angeles Fire Department • Simi Valley Hospital • St. John’s Hospital • Newbury Park Urgent Care • Westlake Village Urgent Care • Walgreens in Newbury Park • Oaks Christian School
community
OUTREACH AND CARE
Service Trips Make an Impact
Winter break at Oaks Christian School is more than just a few days to hit the ski slopes or hang out at the mall with friends. For many OCS students the week off from school in late winter is an opportunity to participate in impactful global educational and service-oriented trips. This year, several students traveled to the Hawaiian island of Molokai, once a shunned leper colony where persons suffering with Hansen’s disease were sent to live out their lives in isolation.
Erin Zeille, sophomore
Students engaged in service and learned about the traditions of Hawaiian culture. Projects included gardening, working with cultural immersion schools, serving some of the local churches, and contributing to land restoration. Oaks Christian partnered with Isaiah Connections to serve the people of the Molokai Island.
Across the globe, other students traveled to the Ina Masai village in Kenya. A couple of years ago, Oaks Christian photography students partnered with the WE organization to help raise money for villagers to begin a microenterprise with goats. Students created and sold artwork in local Thousand Oaks galleries and used the proceeds to buy over 150 goats for village women, who in turn are able to sustain themselves by farming and milking the goats. They were able to see first-hand the impact their projects had on this village in Kenya. Not only did they interact with the villagers, but they experienced daily village life – such as walking a mile for water!
IDEA Lab Used for COVID-19 Needs
O
aks Christian School responded to community needs in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing the 10,000 square foot IDEA Lab to fabricate face shields to bridge the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shortage gap facing healthcare workers who sometimes need to wear the same mask for up to 12-hour shifts. Led by OCS Engineering Teacher Greg Gillis-Smith, a team of Oaks Christian staff made the face shields on the 3D printer in the IDEA Lab. Chief Operating Officer Mike Parkinson, IDEA Lab Floor Manager Rick Coyle, and High School Spiritual Life Director Rich Gregory kept the printer going to produce roughly one shield every 45 minutes. Gillis-Smith attended an engineering conference last summer at MIT and saw on Facebook that his roommate from the conference was printing out face shields for medical professionals. Gillis-Smith knew the IDEA Lab could produce those, as well, and so before the campus was totally shut down in March, he enlisted the help of sophomore Zach Labnow to set up the process. At the same time, Gregory was talking to his friend Justin Homze, a certified nurse’s aide at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, who had just volunteered to be part of the COVID-19 response team at his hospital.
“Rich Gregory reached out to me to see if we could produce some face shields, and I knew this could work. I contacted my roommate from the MIT conference, and he sent me the file for the frame, and then we purchased the clear transparency film for the shields, and we were in business,” Gillis-Smith said. Ginny Eddy, a local home healthcare worker who works for Buena Vista Home Health and Hospice in Newbury Park, was one of the first to pick up a shield. As a long-time occupational therapist, she works hands-on with patients in their home, helping them with physical exercise, one-on-one therapy, and their self-care. “I think it’s a wonderful idea Oaks Christian had to really help us health care workers with this COVID virus being so unpredictable. It is good to have as much PPE as we can,” she shared. 2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 23
community OUTREACH AND CARE
OCServes Day Debuts
Skylar Maio, senior, tutors a young reader.
Putting Shoe Leather to the Faith
O
aks Christian inaugural OCServes Day debuted in the first semester as a day for all high school students to put shoe leather to their faith.
The day began with a rally in the Dallas Athletic Center where Service Prefect Kaylee Andrew emphasized the importance of service, and then each grade headed to their assignments. “All Serve Day gave me a different perspective because not everyone has the same opportunities in life,” said freshman Crystal Minera. Freshmen stayed on campus and served Saving Innocence, an organization which helps young girls and boys who have experienced exploitation. Students made blankets, filled backpacks, wrote letters and prayed. The executive director of
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Saving Innocence shared the work of the organization as an advocate for victims of trafficking. Sophomores also remained on campus in the Dallas Athletic Center, learning about and supporting the work of James Storehouse, a ministry that comes alongside foster families in the local community. Students prepared care packages and wrapped toys. Juniors went off campus to the Children’s Hunger Fund in Sylmar where they toured the facility and learned about global issues that impact poverty and hunger. They also filled food boxes to be shipped to the Philippines.
“Serve Day was super inspiring. Seeing families with children barely having enough to provide for them, it just put things in perspective. I was very glad to serve,” shared junior Ethan Brackenhoff. Seniors also went to various service locations in the local community, including reading to children at Conejo Valley Elementary, painting and gardening at Thousand Oaks United Methodist Church, and filling care packages for military personnel at For the Troops in Simi Valley. Skyler Maio, senior, enjoyed the pleasure of teaching a young child how to read. “I loved the service opportunity. I was able to go help out in a first-grade classroom and help the kids learn how to read. I was able to talk with the teacher about the kids’ reading progress,” she said.
community
OUTREACH AND CARE
Middle Schoolers Serve Fisher Poel assists with gardening.
Quentin Allen-Young, seventh grade Gabriel Martin stacks boxes at Children’s Hunger Fund.
Rylee Sada-Ghiani, Gianna Pascarelli, freshmen
Middle school students lived out “hearts for service” this past year through their partnerships with the Children’s Hunger Fund (CHF) in Sylmar and the BumbleBee Foundation in Westlake Village. Organized by the middle school student leadership team, they did a full-day food pack event for Children’s Hunger Fund. Each student had a chance to participate. CHF brought all the food and boxes to campus and students set up the food packing station in the parking lot, packing as many boxes as they could in their assigned time. They raised enough money to fill an entire shipping container that was sent to Cuba. Students also wrote messages of hope they put into the boxes. Their container was the first CHF was able to get into Cuba to start one of their Mercy networks. The boxes are sent to local churches who distribute them to families in need. They use these boxes as a bridge to build relationships with the families who receive them and to share the gospel with them. The other event was with the BumbleBee Foundation. Each advisory was assigned a family who has a child with pediatric cancer. Advisories were given shopping lists and purchased gifts for the child with cancer and their siblings. Students then delivered the gifts and opened them with the families.
Alvin Ke fills flower beds at Thousand Oaks United Methodist Church. 2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 25
community OUTREACH AND CARE
Virtual Chapels
Inspire Dave Gabertan, senior
O
ne of the unique aspects of Oaks Christian School is the spiritual support students receive in a variety of ways: teacher/student mentoring, grade-level retreats, Bible classes, special assemblies and chapels. When the COVID-19 lockdown happened and students were isolated at home, those opportunities to connect were curtailed. Rather than just accept those lost opportunities, the OCS spiritual life team determined to make sure students were still being cared for. Associate Head of School for Spiritual Life Dee Dee Mayer and Director of Community Service and Global Outreach Audie Diggs were instrumental in quickly moving chapels to a virtual platform with the help of Director of Media Production Reid Chobanian and High School Director of Spiritual Life Rich Gregory. “Oaks is a community without walls, a network of relationships so chapel will be about our community,
Grace Sangster, Rachel Anderson, seniors 26 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
not in a building but joined in our hearts and minds,” said Gregory announcing the new chapel format. Rather than speakers at a podium, the team got creative and chapels became five to seven-minute videos filmed in different locations in the Conejo Valley. “Peace in the Storm,” featured seniors Rachel Anderson and Grace Sangster on their surfboards in the ocean. In “We Will Not Be Shaken,” Senior Dave Gabertan took a hike in the mountains while recounting the story of Job and all his losses, encouraging students to remain faithful through any loss they had this year. Several of the chapels featured sound tracks written and recorded by Gabertan, the lead student worship leader. Teacher Josh Kristoff delivered a message of grace and peace from the tranquil setting of his front porch. Every Monday chapel was uploaded to AXIS, the student learning portal. Then on Tuesday or Wednesday, advisors would host Zoom calls with students. Advisory programming prioritized the social and emotional health of students, focusing on checking in with the students and giving them an opportunity to talk and process the pandemic, learning through Zoom, and the stay-at-home order. “Spiritual life programming while maintaining appropriate physical distancing was a real challenge, but it gave us new skills and provided new methods with which to spread the good news of Jesus and His Kingdom throughout His community. Our entire department is grateful to the many staff and faculty who contributed a great deal of time and effort,” Gregory shared.
community
OUTREACH AND CARE
I
n February 2020, “the Cross” art at the entrance of the school was officially donated in a special ceremony attended by Alexander, the artist, and OCS community members. In addition, renowned art scholars Sir Edward Lucie-Smith from London, and Peter Frank were keynote speakers at the event. OCS art students had the opportunity to be involved in the historic event. Graphic design student Tyler Akerley, senior, designed the event program and art student Christy Gibson, sophomore, created promotional posters using Alexander’s art pieces in her design. Her posters were later sold at another exclusive event held at the Kavli Gallery in Thousand Oaks. “This was a great experience and through making this art I was able to be exposed to the art world in a much more real way. It was amazing to be able to collaborate with a wellknown artist, and speaking at the event was quite surreal,” Gibson said.
Christy Gibson, sophomore, Chief Development Officer Eddie Moore, Alexander, the artist at dedication ceremony.
The sculpture has traveled from its home in Italy, to England, to Australia where it was part of an exhibition of the monumental sculptures in Perth, and then finally to America and its permanent home on the OCS campus. “I knew that I wanted to sculpt a life form. However, not a life form in the traditional sense but rather in a contemplative sense. I wanted to create an artwork that would be both spiritually and universally meaningful,” Alexander shared.
ALEXANDER and
the Cross
“the Cross” Formally Dedicated Alexander, a world-renowned artist, was the creator of the marble sculpture officially titled, “the Cross,” but affectionately known for years as “the egg,” in front of the school entrance. The sculpture was leased to the school by Alexander in 2011.
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celebrating SENIORS
Gains and Losses
I
IN SENIOR YEAR
t wasn’t too long ago the senior class of 2020 was anticipating spring semester, that hard-earned pinnacle as the Top Dogs, Kings of the Hill. As such, they would enjoy special privileges: senior retreat, prom, Mr. OCHS, athletic senior nights, senior lounges, and their last sports season as Lions. Instead, along with thousands of students nationwide, they had to shelter in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking classes remotely, and on Google Hangout instead of actually hanging out with their friends. They mourned the abrupt end of their 12year academic journey and felt a sense of loss and displacement. This senior class in particular lived through the tragic Borderline shooting, the devastating Woolsey fire, and now a global pandemic.
Transition Touchpoints
Those year-end activities weren’t just things to do: they were transition touchpoints to help them commemorate their high school years while anticipating college life and post-high school experiences. “I have heard such good things about retreat and how united the class becomes after that. Also, the prom, and how super
fun that is,” said Conner Kershaw. “You look forward to the memories you were going to create that you can tell your kids about, like my parents have told me about their high school days. I feel ripped off because we have been looking forward to this since middle school. It’s nobody fault, but it pretty unfortunate.” “My life was completely changed by the shutdown. I lost the ability to connect with my friends in real life,” said Ryan Guglielmo.
Mitigating Losses
Knowing that seniors were feeling this way, Oaks Christian (and many schools nationwide) proactively took steps to help them come to terms with the new reality, and far as possible, mitigate the loss of those unique events. On the morning of April 15, seniors woke up to a special surprise. Faculty and staff personally delivered lawn signs to each senior’s home to celebrate them. The parents were notified by email this was happening and they all kept the secret! A senior parent shared the idea with High School Activities Director Chanel Chi, and along with Dean Marcus Choi, she ran with it. The pair had the signs printed and solicited volunteers to help deliver.
Top: Ryan and Tyler Akerley. Left: Bryn Polly. Right: Ronald Redell
Ethan Semeleng, Alexander Warwick, William Reagan, Nathan Weber, Chloe Reed, Madison Meade 28 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
celebrating SENIORS
“I sent out the email and got about 60 responses from Oaks staff that wanted to help. This was super encouraging!” said Chi. “There were some advisors and counselors that wanted to personally deliver to their kids so I thought it would be more meaningful to choose the high school teachers, advisors, and counselors to deliver. In the end we ended up with 30 volunteers delivering to 5-15 homes each.”
Shocked and Happy
Chi describe the students as being “shocked, happy and grateful” when they opened their doors. Senior parent Leslie Matthews said her son, Joe, was touched more by the fact the teachers went out of their way, the effort and human contact, than the signs themselves. “The lawn signs were so great! My advisor (English teacher Christi Goeser) was at the door singing to me! It made my mom cry! It was so great to see a familiar face from Oaks,” said Skylar Maio, senior class president. “Our hope was to lift the spirits of our seniors from these deliveries by showing them that we care for them, we are thinking about them, and praying for them,” Chi shared. “This was a tough time for the entire Oaks community, but we know that the seniors were especially looking forward to these last two months that were packed with events to celebrate them.”
Grateful Parents
Parents were grateful the school took proactive steps to keep the seniors’ spirits up, but the big events, like the prom, and Mr. OCHS were just hard to replace. “The seniors are dealing with it relatively well, but not having prom was tough. It was a reality check. They feel like they have no control over this,” said Brandy Lazar, who, along with Kristin Biegert, served
as a co-senior lead parent for the 20-person class parent volunteer leadership team. Even though there was no actual prom, one thing her son, Sawyer did, was create a virtual prom ask by baking cookies and sharing them with his intended prom date over the computer. Both Lazar and Maio acknowledge the loss of senior events pales to the economic and health struggles other people have suffered due to COVID-19.
Ending Well
At the start of the pandemic, in mid-March and throughout April, the class was feeling it wasn’t fair and focusing on what they had lost, but Maio feels they ended the year well. “It is true we were sad, but now, at this point, we are accepting it is something so out of our control. There are bigger worries that people are dealing with right now so that gives us perspective,” she shared. Seniors have now turned their eyes toward the future and life after high school. Maio is hoping the way their senior year ended will result in some positive outcomes. “Honestly, I don’t know how many times I have taken for granted hanging out with friends. I am so over social media! I hope that with life after quarantine we realize we don’t need our technology so much. I hope one benefit is we will actually cherish our times together and being connected one-on-one,” she said.
Top: Amanda Pierce. Middle: Joseph Quartararo Bottom: Cade Rogers
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celebrating SENIORS
Senior year. The big one.
“It Was Just Going to Look a Little Different”
T
he one that was supposed to finish off high school, perfectly. Not only the year as a whole, but particularly second semester of senior year.
We had been told throughout our previous three years of high school, “just wait until the second semester, it’s the best.” We were told stories of the senior classes before us getting so close to each other before heading off to college. We were told of senior exclusive activities like senior retreat, prom, Mr. OCHS, Grad Night, and most importantly, graduation. Throughout our years, we waited earnestly and anxiously until those things were bestowed upon us and we made them our own. We planned ahead for them, feeling as if we rightly deserved them. We thought to ourselves, “Who am I going to go to prom with?” “What will senior retreat be like?” and “Man, how good is it going to feel to walk across that stage and get my diploma!” I know that I felt and thought all those things. We were so excited, full of expectations for the final months, after years of bearing the slogan, “Our class has 20/20 vision,” we thought we had a clear view of how it would all end and the satisfying closure we would experience as we had anticipated without any reason to ever think it would not happen.
But then, in what feels like an instant, it was completely stripped from us. The week we were supposed to leave for our long anticipated senior retreat, we were told we couldn’t go, nor would we be able to return to school for an unknown amount of time. It felt like a punch in the gut. We were just getting to the good stuff! The experiences we would build memories from that would last a lifetime. But suddenly, instead of joyfully anticipating those expected future experiences, we faced a terror of the present unexpected ones. Petrified of the global pandemic occurring around us, and uncertain of what it meant for our year, we sat stunned at the turn of events. In the time of our life that we were supposed to be encouraged to get closer to each other, we were ordered to be apart. It felt so unfair. But, with ample time to reflect, I genuinely felt that if any class could get through it, it was ours. We were strong. Together we endured the tragic Borderline shooting, the devastating Woolsey Fires, and together we would face a frightening global pandemic. We were good at coming together during times of tragedy to lean on each other. Yes, coming together during unthinkable tragedy, became one of the most prominent characteristics of our class. The phrase “One Oaks Christian” was introduced our freshman year by Head of School Rob Black. It stuck with us all these years and its meaning has taken on something much more special to us. We’ve been one body to serve those in our community affected by the Montecito Mudslides in filling up sandbags, to hold hands and pray in the quad for the lives lost in the Borderline shooting, and to grieve the losses we experienced during the Woolsey Fires. We were good at being One Oaks Christian, and even better at being One Class of 2020. I wished I could have peered into the future and have had definite answers as to what events we would have, and which we wouldn’t, but I couldn’t. Everything was uncertain. What I did know is that we had time. Time to spend with our parents, siblings, pets; time in our childhood homes and neighborhoods before we headed off to college. I know we wanted our great ending, and I knew it would come. It was just going to look a little different for us.
– Maggie Bradley, Class of 2020
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Don’t Rain on My Parade!
CELEBRATING SENIORS celebrating SENIORS
COVID-19 didn’t stop this celebration
O
n the day that Oaks Christian High School seniors would have walked across the stage to receive their diploma, they instead celebrated the unconventional end of their high school years with a mile-long campus parade on May 28. Oaks Christian was one of the first schools to hold a drive through graduation event shortly after the Los Angeles County Department of Health green-lighted such parades on May 22 as long as COVID-19 protocols were observed. The campus lies within the LA County boundaries.
Ty Shamblin
Seniors and their family members decorated cars, vans and trucks with OCS logo and colors, and the name and colors of the colleges they are attending. As they drove the route, they were applauded by faculty and staff who lined the parade route, wearing masks and keeping approved distance. As cars travelled the route—along campus, portions of La Tienda Drive and Via Rocas—car horns and air horns blasting, they viewed 228 individual oversized banners of each senior lining the route. At individual stations, seniors were given their caps and gowns, graduation stoles, special cookies and mask with the OCS logo, and alumni t-shirts to welcome them into the alumni association.
Anna Stevens
The parade was organized through the office of student life with High School Activities Director Chanel Chi and High School Dean Marcus Choi spearheading the effort with the help of senior parents, and the OCS facilities crew. “We are so thankful for the team. The event could not have been possible without them. And a huge thank you to the logistical/operations masterminds who accounted for every detail,” Chi shared.
Blake Ternan
Romas Jatulis
Jake Benton 2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 31
celebrating SENIORS Virtual College Decision Day
From Parking Lot to Porch Door
Gram Worthy! Gen Z students are strongly oriented to technology, so it’s no surprise they connect very effectively on digital platforms. When COVID-19 hit, they naturally wanted to use social media to stay in touch with friends at school. Toward that end, High School Activities Director Channel Chi worked with the high school communication prefect Taylah Mortensen, senior, and the junior class president Shadeh Jaberi, to establish an Instagram account for the duration of the lockdown. “Although there is absolutely nothing that can replace the activities that take place on campus (sports games, pep rallies, club activities, etc.), the student leadership team used the Instagram as a platform to engage students virtually through contests, and challenges that would continue to help them feel connected to Oaks,” Chi said.
C
Jameson Wang
Alana Broome
ollege Decision Day on May 1 was another opportunity to celebrate seniors. Instead of the high-energy tailgate party in the parking lot when seniors decorate their cars with banners, logos and colors of the college they are attending, the counseling department organized a virtual college decision day. Students decorated their front porch doors, or any door in their home, and took photos or videos for social media. “Some of us had seen this idea filtering around social media and we decided as a department that it would be fun,” said Counselor Brittany Lindsey. Competitions still happened and the College Counseling Department judged winners in two categories. The winners were: Most Creative Door: Yvonne Boyiazis, Kaylee Jacques, Bela Jimenez, Elizabeth Astin, Adam Rasmussen. Most Creative Way to Celebrate: Hannah Wilson, Reece Thompson, Kate Otto “We all wish we could have had the tailgate. We were so excited last year as juniors for this, so it wasn’t the same. But it is so cool they organized this and made us feel appreciated. The school could have so easily said, ‘Forget it. Too much work.’ But they did not and created this alternative for us,” Skyler Maio said. In addition, the counselors also created a brief and individualized video they texted to each of their students and their parents to encourage them as they made their college choices.
32 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
OCHS Student Activities was unique in that it was run by students for students. Jaberi, who plans to major in business and marketing in college, shared the posting responsibilities with Mortensen. She appreciated the opportunity to apply her creativity in a real-world setting. Over the weeks, the account gained over 400 followers and featured posts on the virtual Mr. OCHS event, student yearbook distribution, showcases on high school art students, class assemblies and elections, best “Zoom” moments, encouraging videos from faculty and more! “Taylah and I saw that student morale was down and wondered what we could to do to raise student spirits. We know everyone is always on their phones. We thought that would be the best way to connect students, so we created the account,” said Jaberi. Combined with the beautiful graphics they created, and the interactions on the site from students, the account provided a great place for connection for students during the pandemic. “We saw a lot of students liked it, and actually more than we thought. That was really awesome,” said Jaberi. “It was fun seeing people respond to the stories, and then messaging us with photos. Students actually cared and that told us they wanted to stay involved (during lockdown).”
celebrating GRADUATES
Gift Bag Delivery Surprises Eighth Graders
East Coast Meets West Coast
A
common sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic was “Get used to different.” For this year’s eighth grade class it was an actual reality as they lived through quarantine and the loss of their special year end events. Each year, the class takes their annual East Coast Adventure (ECA) trip to visit historical places and monuments shortly before their commencement ceremony. They also participate in the traditional bridge crossing (walking from middle school campus to high school campus), symbolizing their transition to high school. Those events, like many others campus wide, were cancelled.
Jenna Stubblefield
So, instead of going to the east coast, the east coast came to them. Led by Middle School Spiritual Life Director Jade Molina and a team of volunteer parents—Jean Kim, Monica Bjork, Leslie Schuler, Diana Clark, Melanie Vaswani—the middle school administration team assembled gift bags with an assortment of memorabilia from the east coast, representing places they would have visited. Students received a coffee mug from Washington D.C.; a miniature Statue of Liberty; chocolates from New York; a magnet from Boston; a key chain and pen from Philadelphia, and a sticker from Princeton University. The gift bag also included their yearbooks.
Raquel Villanueva
But the big surprise was the pink ECA sweatshirts that this year read “East Coast Missed Adventure,” a phrase coined by teacher Justin Newman. There was also a “Get Used to Different” t-shirt. “Get used to different became our middle school theme and mantra as we transitioned into quarantine,” said Molina. “It came out of an episode of the “The Chosen,” a new Bible TV series that all grade levels used as their Bible curriculum from March through May. It was a big part of keeping us unified. It became the focus of our chapel messages as well.”
Cole Clark
Janelle Batiste
Kim came up with the idea for the memorabilia, made the orders for all of them, and organized the other moms that volunteered to put together the gift bags. Molina ordered the t-shirts directly from the creator of The Chosen, who also sent a 3-minute video saying hello to all the students and encouraging them through quarantine. About 25 middle school faculty and staff, including the OCS advancement department made the deliveries to the surprised students.
Anthony Amorelli
Chai Bryan
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 33
celebrating SENIORS
Baccalaureate BLESSINGS C
ommencement events at Oaks Christian School had a different feel and tone, but nonetheless still honored and celebrated graduates.
The time-honored high school baccalaureate service was virtual this year. The event was live-streamed and pulled together many moving parts: recorded testimonies, songs and speeches. The keynote address was delivered by New York Times best selling author and founder of Love Does Bob Goff. Graduating senior Alyson Choi addressed her peers, many whom she had not seen since the COVID-19 lockdown. She shared videos of Yes Theory about pushing oneself beyond comfort zones. She encouraged her classmates to use the enforced isolation to stop and reflect, seeking discomfort to unveil fears, and appreciate life outside their comfort zone to find a better understanding of themselves. “The best things exist outside your phone, your room, your social sphere…seek discomfort because that is where growth happens,” she encouraged. One of the highlights was the moving “Lean on Me” video montage which featured faculty and students singing the uplifting song as a blessing to the families. High School Principal Karen Coyle began the stirring candle lighting section by reminding seniors to go out and “Now, it’s your time. Your time to go out into a world where people desperately need the light. So, be the light.” Participants virtually light candles while The Blessing by Kari Jobe played.
Oscar Maxwell Sommer Kaylee Jacques 34 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
Alyson Choi
39
celebrating SENIORS
entering STEM fields
96%
20
admitted to four year colleges
40
competing athletically at the college level
By the numbers
The Class
attending
of 2020
40% $6M Over
in scholarships
92 different colleges in 29 different states and 3 different countries
admitted to “highly selective� colleges
including The Air Force Academy, Stanford, Columbia, Williams, West Point, Emory, Tufts, University of Chicago, USC, Notre Dame, The Manhattan School of Music and many more.
1,500 Nearly
hours of cumulative community service
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 35
athletic DISTINCTION COVID-19 Cuts Season Short
What Might Have Been
A
fter a disappointing first season debut, the OCS stunt team was elated when they scored a huge win against Santa Barbara High School in fall 2019—a school four times the size of Oaks Christian High School.
shut down schools nationwide, those hopes quickly dissipated. The final blow was when the CIF issued their official ruling on April 3 by CIF Executive Director Ron Nocetti. He empathized with the student-athletes, but nevertheless took the course of action out of health and safety concerns.
The hard training from the previous year was paying off and the team was poised for a strong season when they got the news that all spring sports were cut short because of COVID-19.
“Based on the recent statements issued by Governor [Gavin] Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, regarding schools turning to distance learning for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) does not see an avenue for the spring sports season to continue,” his statement read. “As such, in consultation today with the 10 Section commissioners, the decision has been made to cancel spring section, regional, and state championship events.”
Freshman Ana McKenna, a flyer and tumbler on the team, remembers getting the news shortly after the meet. “It was very disappointing especially after our first game when we had our first win ever. It was very memorable and not being able to continue the season after that and finish strong was devastating for me and my whole team,” she said.
Reality Sinks In
As a freshman she knows she has more seasons ahead, but the seniors definitely felt the impact the most. For Lily Levine, a fouryear OCS cheerleader and second year stunt team member, it took a while for the reality to sink in. “After our team meeting there were a lot of tears and we were really sad, but I don’t think I realized in the moment that I had already competed for the last time with my team, people I had been in cheer with for almost four years. These were girls that I had emotional, close connections with,” she shared. When the coronavirus pandemic hit, athletes and coaches were hopeful it would just be a speed bump on the way to full seasons and practices would resume quickly. But as stay-at-home orders
36 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
CIF Shuts It Down
That news hit track and field particularly hard. The OCS track and field team has been a powerhouse program, earning several league titles and making multiple CIF playoff appearances and earning local and state titles. This spring looked to continue the winning trajectory. Led by pole vaulter Bryn Polly and distance runner Hannah Wilson, Coach Wes Smith—an original OCS coach since the school opened in 2000—felt his girls team this year was possibly the best in school history. They looked to score at CIF finals in 14 or more events, something never accomplished in CIF history, he shared.
athletic DISTINCTION Transferring to Oaks
Polly transferred to Oaks Christian as a junior when her family moved down from Northern California. She was a former gymnast, but injuries made her consider a different sport. When she toured the campus and met the track and field coaches, she knew Oaks Christian was a place she could grow as an athlete and a person in a way she had not been able to as a gymnast. She finished her junior year with a Division 1 recruitment offer (she is heading to University of Memphis on a track scholarship), but not being able to finish her senior year was rough. The news came after the team’s first and only meet this year. It was pouring rain and it was difficult for her to jump in that weather. “A lot of good things came out of my junior year, but it was definitely hard to hear our season was cut short. I had just finished preparing myself for my senior season, dialing into different workouts, being in the best shape possible and pushing myself to do different techniques.”
We Are a Family
Despite that setback, Polly said the team was there for each other during the lockdown because “We have a closer bond than just sports. Of course, it was hard not to be together, but this is more than athletics. We are a family.” Smith sympathizes with the seniors who “missed out on winning individual titles and setting records. Wilson was a favorite for the state title in the 800. Polly missed her chance to qualify for state.”
Like Levine, senior Conner Kershaw had no idea his senior sports season would end so abruptly. A third-year varsity center fielder and pitcher, he was looking forward to finishing his high school career against local rivals.
Unrealized Potential
“We played seven non-league games, but the season had not really started yet, it was a huge bummer because we wanted to play against Thousand Oaks, Newbury and Westlake (high schools),” he said. “I had no idea that would not happen. Being my last season as a Lion, it was definitely disappointing not to realize our potential as we were playing really well and growing.” Senior Blake McGovern had been turning in amazing scores for the OCS golf team for years, but his best scores were happening this spring right before the shutdown. With just three matches under his belt, he had medaled in all three, shooting 70, 72 and 73, respectively, before the COVID-19 pandemic brought his final season to a close. He will attend University of California, Santa Barbara this fall and play on the men’s golf team. “(Blake) was going to do some exciting things this season; we just got to see a snapshot of it,” Oaks Christian golf coach John Geiberger shared with local media. Softball coach Pete Ackermann had a strong pitching staff and was excited to see what they would do. “But now we’ll never know what might have been,” he said.
He also realizes that for this team, and all teams, the juniors also took a hit. Losing their junior year reduces opportunities to be recruited by college teams.
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 37
athletic DISTINCTION
Dynamic Duo the
G
rowing up in sunny San Diego, Jan Hethcock experienced the quintessential endless summer, body surfing, hanging out on the beach and being active as much as he could.
Back in the early 60’s there weren’t club sports, but he did play Little League and made the All-Star team. He also played flag football, basketball, and baseball against other schools through junior high. At Madison High School he played on the boys’ varsity golf team. In college he made 1st team All-Conference and a 1st team selection as an All-District player in soccer. Besides soccer, he also played basketball and baseball at Southern California College (now called Vanguard University) in Costa Mesa before transferring and graduating from Point Loma College. Later, he earned a masters degree in education and coaching from Azusa Pacific University. Therefore, it was natural that he would begin a career in sports. He was hired as the original athletic director in 2000, a position he still holds today now as Head of Athletics. He also coached OCS girls’ soccer for 10 years. Prior to Oaks Christian, he served as the men’s head soccer coach at Point Loma, was athletic director at three elementary schools in San Diego County, served as the commissioner for San Diego County Christian Schools, and as commissioner of South Coast Junior High Sports League. As the AD at Christian High in San
38 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
Diego, his school was selected by Cal High Sports as the best athletic program in the state with an enrollment below 1,500. Hethcock has also coached softball. He has coached well over 1,000 games in his career. He was selected at the Southern California Athletic Director of the Year in 2014 and has been selected as CIF Women’s Soccer Coach of the year five times. By far his most enjoyable years in coaching were to be able to coach his own three children. Last summer he coached his granddaughter’s AYSO soccer team. His grandson, Koen, is an OCS junior and is on the water polo and swim teams. Hethcock has been married to his high school sweetheart, Donna, for 46 years and they have three children; Barbara, Emily, and Kyle, and six grandchildren. Peter Ackermann is tenacious. For 50 years he has coached, 20 of those at Oaks Christian. Starting way back in the early 70s as a Newbury Park little league baseball coach, to varsity softball head coach at Newbury High School, to his 500th win as the OCS girls’ softball head coach, he has seen it all.
athletic DISTINCTION
With nearly 100 years of coaching and athletic administrative experience between them, Head of Athletics Jan Hethcock and Director of Athletic Operations Peter Ackermann have been helping young men and women athletes live out the “athletic distinction” pillar of the OCS mission since day one when Oaks Christian opened its doors. As the school celebrates its 20th anniversary, Hethcock and Ackermann take a few moments to share their collective wisdom, experience and advice with this generation of student-athletes.
He has also achieved a lot: 15 league Coach of the Year titles, three CIF Coach of the Year titles, a California Coaches Association Softball Coach of the Year, twice the National Christian Schools Athletic Association Coach of the Year, and named the LA Times, Ventura County Star and Daily News Coach of the Year. His OCS softball team has qualified every year for CIF post-season play, had a 46-game win streak, earned three CIF Championships and three runner-up slots. That’s quite a brag sheet for someone who never played youth or high school sports.
Above: Peter Ackermann Right: Jan Hethcock
Instead, he worked hard, growing up on his parents’ farm in Yucaipa. His parents were WWII refugees from Austria who immigrated to the United States when he was five. As the son of immigrants he knew the value of hard work and perseverance. That grit led him to become a vice president and plant manager of one of the largest chicken ranches in the world, with over 4 million chickens. Later, he applied the same work ethic at Oaks Christian when he was hired in 2000 as the girls’ softball coach. He assisted Athletic Director Jan Hethcock, substituted as a middle school PE teacher, was later promoted to athletic coordinator and today serves as the high school athletic director of operations. Ackermann has been married to Carol for 36 years. They have one daughter, Christine, and two granddaughters, Samantha and Isabella.
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 39
athletic DISTINCTION
Q
Q
What were the early years like for athletics?
What has remained the same?
Jan: It was very exciting to be able to start a brand-new program, with about 156 students. We knew every student and it was a lot of fun. I started working with Jeff Woodcock in San Diego in the fall of 1999 even though I was not officially on the books. We started to put on paper what the athletic department might look like with 9th and 10th graders for the first year and how we would build the department from there. On February 1, 2000 I came on board full time. One of the best decisions I have ever made. I believe this was a move completely orchestrated by God.
Jan: Students transferring from school to school for the so-called “perfect fit.”
Peter: It was so much fun to get in on the ground floor, to have the opportunity to set the cornerstone for athletics and establish the legacy for the school. Everyone—staff, teachers, and students—knew one another and supported each other. Jan did an outstanding job hiring the best Christ-like coaches. Even though we only had freshmen and sophomores our first year we competed in varsity sports with great success, girls’ basketball and softball.
Q
What have been the most enjoyable and rewarding aspects of your job?
Peter: Kids still want to be kids: enjoyment, competition, and being part of a group. Playing for the name on the front of the uniform is something students have always cherished.
Q
What motivates you each day? Jan: Every day is different. With so many teams and coaches, along with games, almost every day brings a lot of moving parts. These moving parts just don’t happen to fit easily: there needs to be someone in control. Being able to partner with a tremendous staff and work together to ensure the daily puzzle pieces fit together can be challenging and extremely rewarding at the same time. An athletic department like Oaks Christian cannot be operated by one person. We have a great athletic staff and I am very pleased to be a part of it.
Jan: Being able to share Christ with kids, pray with them, mentor them in Biblical principles, watch them grow and mature through athletics, celebrate with them and encourage them when they get down. Also, hiring coaches who love the Lord and want to be a positive influence in the lives of their athletes. I love the opportunity to mentor coaches and help them grow stronger in the sport they coach. Watching the school grow and athletics becoming a powerhouse in the community has also been rewarding. My most enjoyable AD years have been the past 20+ years at OC. I love our school. Peter: The ability to work with outstanding coworkers, students, and parents. The job never gets boring.
Q
How have high school athletics changed? Jan: Over my last 46 years I have seen an immense improvement in athletic equipment for the weight rooms, strength and conditioning coaches, athletic trainers for injury prevention and athlete rehab. Also, coaching certifications, along with all the new medical awareness programs for coaches. The level of the competition has grown greater, there is a lot more parent involvement, an increase in college coaches on campus and the advancement of girls’ sports. Peter: The influx of travel and club teams. This has promoted specialization (and not for the better) in one sport. I truly believe that early dedication to one sport leads to both physical and mental stress in our youth. College coaches have stated that they prefer multi-sport athletes.
40 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
Top: Hethcock at National Signing Day. Left: With Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub at the St. John Bosco CIF football semi-final honoring families affected by the Woosley Fire. Right: Enjoying the family fair with grandson Maverick.
athletic DISTINCTION Peter: Being able to use my years of experience to complete my job the very best I can. Every day I wake up I’m excited and passionate about the day ahead of me.
Q
What’s the best advice you can give to athletes? Jan: Every day is a gift from God. Give your all every day, 100% every day, you cannot make up tomorrow what you did not give today. Enjoy the process, enjoy your teammates, thank your coaches and be very grateful for the athletic ability the Lord has given you. Honor the Lord in how you practice and play the game, be a Christ-like example to your team and the opposing team. Give your parents a hug every day and thank them for sending you to Oaks Christian. Peter: Quit putting so much pressure on yourself! Trust in the Lord, for he will not give you more than you can handle. The secret to success is, “There is a life outside of sports.” Tomorrow is another day, and the sun will come up.
Q
How does faith play a role in athletics? Jan: My faith in Jesus means everything to me. If I profess to be a Christian and do not display Christian character, I am showing everyone around me that I am a hypocrite. I cannot give a devotion on self-control and then go out and be a screaming, obnoxious, verbally abusive coach or an AD. My character must be a Christlike reflection of my faith and belief in my Savior, Jesus. Peter: Our coaches spend more time each day with their students than anyone else. What a great way to share God’s blessings with them. We do devotions with our teams on how Christ would like for us to act. Our athletic teams at Oaks are always being judged by our own and extended communities. What a great way to show our culture, character, and Christian values while on a public stage.
Q
What have you learned over the years? Jan: Start your day in God’s word and prayer. Look for opportunities to help others daily and to share Christ with others. Keep your family second, right behind God. Don’t have knee jerk reactions. Be open to hearing what people have to say. Be flexible; if you’re not, you will live a stressful life. Don’t take negative comments personally. Be organized and on top of your game every day. Hire the smartest people you can on your staff, so your staff meetings are always looking for ways to improve the program and to help keep you sharp and current. Do not micro-manage. Let others do their jobs. Give credit where credit is due and be humble. We are all in this together.
Top: Ackermann spends a few moments in reflection in the softball field dugout. Bottom left: With wife Carol at the OCS Dinner Gala. Bottom Right: At National Signing Day 2018 with softball players Olivia Lucchese, Kaitlin Simonsgaard, and Bella Salinas.
Peter: When you’re young and trying to establish yourself, you are more insecure and harsher. To succeed as a coach, you must be gentler. Wins and losses are not as important as establishing relationship with students. We need to open up about ourselves and show how much we care about the young men and women we coach. Sometimes they don’t get it instantly, but it opens doors for communication. It’s such a pleasure staying in touch with our alumni and see their life’s success and their new families. Everyone faces challenges. And every person, organization, company and team must overcome adversity. No one goes through life untested and the answer to these tests is the positive energy that consists of the vision, trust, optimism, enthusiasm, purpose, and God’s Spirit which defines us.
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 41
athletic DISTINCTION
ALUMNI Pittman, Parkinson
Drafted to NFL Left: Colby Parkinson, Right: Michael Pittman. Photos courtesy of Ventura County Star
O
CS alumni Michael Pittman, Jr. (wide receiver), Class of 2016, and Colby Parkinson (tight end), Class of 2017, were drafted to the National Football League by the Indiana Colts and the Seattle Seahawks, respectively. Pittman was number 34 in the second round, and Parkinson was 133 in round 4, giving Oaks Christian the distinction of most players drafted from the same California high school. The pair become the fifth and sixth OCS Lions to go professional, joining: Jimmy Clausen, Class of 2010, Carolina Panthers; Casey Matthews, Class of 2011, Philadelphia Eagles; Cassius Marsh, Class of 2014, Seattle Seahawks, and Jordan Payton, Class of 2016, Cleveland Browns. Pittman follows in the footsteps of his father, Michael Pittman, Sr. former NFL running back and Super Bowl XXXVII champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As an OCS Lion, Pittman caught 81 passes for 1,990 yards and 24 touchdowns his senior year and was named first team All-American by Parade and Max Preps, as well as being selected for the All-
42 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
American Bowl. In the final game of his high school career, Pittman caught 16 passes for 354 yards and five touchdowns. He was named the 2015 All-County Player of the Year. At USC, Pittman was named the Pac-12 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week and was named first team All-Conference as a special teamer. As a senior, he caught 10 passes for 232 yards (5th-most in a game in USC history). He finished the regular season with 95 receptions for 1,222 yards and 11 touchdowns and was named first team All-Pac-12 and a consensus second team AllAmerica selection. A three-sport letter winner at Oaks Christian, Parkinson was also an All-American Bowl player. He had an outstanding career at Oaks Christian, including an impressive junior year where he caught 24 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. He was also named to the 2016 All-USA Second Team by USA Today. At Stanford, he tied the record for most touchdowns in a single game for a tight end: he had six catches for 166 yards and four touchdowns against Oregon State. He earned All-Pac-12 Conference honorable mention and caught 87 passes for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns in three seasons.
athletic DISTINCTION HIGH SCHOOL STATS League Champions
• Boys Water Polo • Girls Water Polo • Girls Basketball • Girls Soccer • Boys Cross Country qualified for and placed at the State Finals
A T H L E T I C S MIDDLE SCHOOL STATS Fall League Champions/1st Place Finishers Tackle Football Delphic League Champions 7/8 Girls Volleyball Delphic League Champions Elyse Chappa – Swimming 1st Place 25 Butterfly
Fall Undefeated Seasons
5/6 Girls Volleyball – First place in Tri-Valley League 5/6 Flag Football – First place in Tri-Valley League 7/8 Cardinal Flag Football – First place in Tri-Valley League 7/8 Gold Flag Football – First place in Tri-Valley League
Winter League Champions/1st Place Finishers Boys Soccer Delphic League Champions 7/8 Girls Basketball Delphic League Champions
Winter Playoff Appearances
Girls Cardinal Soccer – Delphic League Playoffs Boys 8th Basketball – Delphic League Playoffs Boys 7th Cardinal – Delphic League Playoffs
Winter Undefeated Seasons
Girls 5/6 Basketball – First place in Tri-Valley League Boys 5/6 Cardinal Basketball – First place in Tri-Valley League 2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 43
advancing Mission IMPACT Over the course of the last few months, we have experienced influential moments that will surely rewire our understanding of ourselves and how we operate in the world. Each year the advancement department strengthens partnerships with our families to build trust, loyalty and financial support for the benefit of the entire community. There were many powerful moments of mission and impact throughout this year as we Eddie Moore embarked on Chief Development Officer this journey with current families, friends, alumni, grandparents and more. The opening of our IDEA Lab and the ribbon-cutting of our new residential dorm were two such moments. From homecoming and the golf and tennis tournaments in early fall to Grandparent’s Day and Giving Tuesday, generosity was a constant. We enjoy revisiting those moments that brought us together and gave us joy and no doubt our recent circumstances have us yearning for that “normalcy” again. We have had many families and supporters this year (nearly 2,000) who have made significant contributions of time, talent, and treasure. In the coming months, we are looking forward to acknowledging those supporters in our annual Stewardship Report, sharing more about our financial model, goal achievement and giving societies. 44 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
IDEA Lab Opens Doors
Hands-on Learning and Creativity Flourish
I
n August 2019, Oaks Christian School opened the IDEA Lab (Innovation, Design, Engineering and Aeronautics) a 10,000 square foot learning space to house Oaks Christian’s Institute of Engineering. Over 250 students began programs in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, and software engineering.
In addition to Institute of Engineering coursework, students are utilizing the equipment and space of the IDEA Lab for clubs and activities such as Solar Cup Team, VEX Robotics Team, and FemSTEM to encourage girls to consider science careers. “I had never thought of going into engineering and now it is just my life,” said Shaley Dehaas O’Briant, senior. “All I want to do is be constantly building and helping people and making the world a better place.” “I definitely love the hands-on learning. We get to use the machines, not just learn the theory behind them. So, here we get to work with the $40,000 HAAS machines, AutoCAD and 3D printers,” said Brandon Villanueva, sophomore. It’s not just the state-of-the-art machines that make the IDEA Lab unrivaled in high school engineering programs. The faculty are world class professionals who bring their industry experience directly to bear on their curriculum, either from past or current experience. Juan Velasquez is an aerospace engineer at Aerojet Rocketdyne and teaches the aerospace engineering class. This past year he was selected to work on the Mars 2020 rover, which currently has a scheduled launch from Cape Canaveral in late summer 2020. “It is such an amazing experience to have people who have worked in the field…you have an advantage because you have someone who is so thoroughly invested and knows the business so well,” said Dehaas O’Briant.
advancing Phase II Underway We are so grateful to the families who gave financial gifts toward Phase I of the IDEA Lab and helped open the building, as well as those who have already committed funds to help begin Phases II and III of the IDEA Lab, which collectively will cost $1.8M. Before the campus closure due to COVID-19, over $528,000 was raised in gifts and pledges toward the Phase II goal of $850,000 for an elevator, staircase, and two additional second floor classrooms. In June 2020 we broke ground on Phase II of the IDEA Lab which will add two additional fully equipped classrooms, a wheelchair lift, a 1,200 square foot second story mezzanine, lighting upgrades, furniture, fixtures, and equipment. Beginning in the fall, students will be in level II courses in aerospace, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering, and we will have a new group of introductory students to serve.
For his part, Velasquez feels the IDEA Lab provides an opportunity for students to get to see the application of what they learn in class in a real world environment.
As of mid-June, remodeling and electrical and construction work began on both floors. Foundations have been prepared for the second story mezzanine, and walls have been opened to increase movement between spaces and utilization of equipment. equipment
“One of the most rewarding parts of being on the faculty of this institute is that I get to see students exercise their creativity to solve problems in unique ways,” he said. That creativity was on full display at a spring open house, hosted by the advancement department in collaboration with the engineering department. Over 150 middle school and high school engineering students and their families attended. Students presented their projects in their specified field of engineering for the guests. Highlights included a “go-kart” created for a young student with physical challenges, 3D printed cars, a full-size solar-powered boat, various types of rockets, CAD-designed bridges, and four mechanical signs to highlight each of the four areas of the IDEA Lab floor space. Associate Head of School for Academics Dr. Matt Northrop spoke at the open house about the vision for Phases II and III of the lab, including upstairs classrooms, an elevator and staircases, and gathering places for clubs. He shared about the demands of the program and the need for more space as the school is projecting the program to grow from 250 students to over 400. “What we can do here is unlimited,” said physics engineering teacher Tyler Hernandez. “A student can come up and say, ‘I want to try and do this,’ and rather than say ‘No, we can’t,’ we can say ‘Sure, let’s figure out how to do that and let’s do it!’” 2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 45
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hristmas 2019 came early for seven-year old Harper Lindsey, daughter of High School Academic Dean Kevin Lindsey and his wife, Brittany, OCS college counselor. Harper, who was born with spina bifida, received a go-kart built by the OCS engineering students to help her get around while she awaited surgery in mid-December.
“What I am really trying to show here is that engineering can impact lives, too. This is just the tip of the iceberg. My goal next year is that we will be doing almost exclusively these types of project for people in the community. We are going to get the word out that Oaks Christian cares about our community,” said Greg Gillis-Smith, OCS engineering and IDEA Lab teacher.
When Harper was born, the Lindseys were told she would not be able to have much use of her legs, among other physical and internal challenges. Her condition is challenging, but Harper’s determined spirit and joyful attitude has helped her overcome much during her seven years!
While the IDEA Lab is a stunning example of modern technology, the foundation of its inception has always been to connect the OCS mission to classroom learning and practice. Associate Head of School for Academics Matt Northrop has envisioned the lab as a cross-discipline collaborative experience where students can, for example, build prosthetic limbs that will be delivered to a patient in a village that OCS students visit on a mission trip, and the film class would create a documentary of the process.
This past surgery was her fifth major surgery and the entire process was to straighten her right foot in order to improve her gait, with the goal of increasing her independence and mobility. She wore a cast in preparation which further hindered her limited mobility. That’s when the engineering students jumped in and built her a gokart in the school’s new IDEA Lab.
Harper’s go-kart is an example of the process: it was built by engineering students who had to figure out how to create hand controls due to Harper’s limited foot function, the art students painted turtles on the side for her, and the broadcast journalism students filmed it and told the story on their news channel. “The kids at the school I work at are so cool because they do stuff like this. Not only do they do it, but they do it well,” said Kevin Lindsey.
Harper Gets a Ride! Brittany Lindsey with her daughter Harper.
46 OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2020
Golf and Tennis Return in Full
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fter a one-year hiatus, the Oaks Christian Annual Golf and Ladies Tennis Tournaments were back in full swing on the greens and courts of the North Ranch Country Club. Over 175 players gathered under a crisp fall sky on Nov. 4 to enjoy camaraderie and competition all for a good cause—raising support for all OCS students and programs. The tournaments are put on by the OCS advancement department. With events such as the putting contest, the hole-inone contest, the longest drive and the closest to the pin contests, golfers had ample opportunity for friendly competition while supporting the school. In addition to those contests, players also bought mulligans—with OCS dad Zack Schuler, breaking the mulligan sales record by purchasing 24 mulligans—or paid a member of the OCS golf team to make a drive for them. Over on the courts, the ladies enjoyed singles and doubles play before heading to the club house for a gourmet lunch, silent auction and raffle. “It was a great day, and my favorite part was seeing everyone gather to celebrate Oaks Christian. I got to make some new friends, see our alumni come back, see some families who are thinking of coming to Oaks as well as some long-term families. It’s a testament to the past and future generations that love Oaks,” said OCS parent Anna Cutino. In addition to parents, friends and community businesses, the event also saw several alumni come out in support of their alma mater. Alumni teeing-off included: Brian Farwell and Brett Hall, Class of 2003; Chris Judge, Nick Nugwynne, and Andrew Bierschenk, Class of 2009; Erik Kohler, Nick Lyskin, and Daniel Ross, Class of 2010; Richie Harrington, Class of 2011; Phillip Morton, Class of 2013; and Brigitte Dunne, Class of 2015. Dunne, who was named Ventura County Player of the Year twice as a member of the OCS Girls Golf Team, was thrilled to be back at North Ranch to support her alma mater. “It was such a blast to be here, hitting some big shots, being back with the Oaks family and seeing other alumni. The school did a great job organizing this event. It’s crazy what a good time we had today.”
2020 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT 47
Supporting the
One Oaks Mission
Annual fund gifts make the most immediate impact in the life of the school because they are used in the year they are given. The “One Oaks” Annual Fund will support the needs and priorities of the school each year and ensure excellence in ALL of our programs including academics, arts, and athletics. Advancement of Oaks Christian School is a community-based effort to ensure annual funding for our outstanding programs, amazing teachers and the future of Christian education. Annual donations impact every area of the school. We work to build trust and partnership with our parents.
ACADEMICS Offering innovative new institutes and individual learning pathways ATHLETICS Nationally recognized athletics program with state-of-the-art facilities that allow students to compete at the highest levels ARTS Connecting an incredible arts program with the God-given talent bestowed on our students
The Annual “One Oaks” Fund is the foundation of fundraising at Oaks Christian. Like other independent schools, unrestricted gifts provide critical resources for students, programs and teachers not covered by tuition. These gifts allow the forward-thinking and continuous improvement that is expected at a school the caliber of Oaks Christian.
OAKS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 31749 LA TIENDA DRIVE • WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA 91362 WWW.OAKSCHRISTIAN.ORG
TO MAKE A GIFT
VISIT www.oakschristian.org/support CONTACT Chief Development Officer Eddie Moore at emoore@oakschristian.org CALL 818.575.9204